ECU Programming
 

So I have studied this topic in this forum and have quite a few questions all stemming from a persistent battery red light. Voltage readings are all good.

Alternator replaced with genuine Jaguar unit and battery replaced with Box's recommended battery.

It has been suggested that my power management system is dysfunctional.
Which would mean something not quite right with my ECU and I do suspect this is quite likely.

I have already run the power management routine using SDD with no change.

If I swap out my existing ECU and replace it with another, with the same part number, and fail to program it and get a lock out will installing the original overcome the lockout.

What is the procedure to reprogram/re-flash the ECU with SDD?

I am very reticent to re-flash my original ECU and would rather try the procedure on another "compatible" ECU.

I can live with the red battery light but am worried about some sort of failure on a very long trip.

Other than taking out the ECU is there another place in my car where the part number for the ECU is listed?

If you mean "reconfigure existing powertrain control module" (that's the wording in SDD), I know how to do that. Configuring a NEW module I have not tried. If there was something wrong with your existing module, I'm thinking that SDD would tell you it can't do the reconfigure, it runs a routine to establish communication with it before it reflashes.

To reconfigure your existing:

1. disconnect battery for 10 min then short out cables then reconnect
2. hook up power supply and set up vcm or mongoose
3. in sdd start a diagnostic session
4. in "symptoms" tab, the top block of the tree diagram says something like "electronic module issues" not sure of exact wording but its the top block. Highlight it then click continue at the bottom.
5. in "recommended" actions tab scroll down till you see "reconfigure existing powertrain control module", click run.
6. if you have anywhere after v128 it should have the latest version of the software to reprogram, when it asks you just accept it.
7. the process takes about 15 minutes with the rotunda vcm and laptop, not sure with the mongoose. lots of turn key on and off.
8. if the process is somehow interrupted, your laptop freezes, or sdd says it has failed to reconfigure, do it again until it completes it successfully, always shut down sdd, restart laptop, disconnect vcm and start process over fresh, if sdd asks to continue existing session, say no shut down sdd restart laptop and reconnect vcm. remember to set date to august 1, 2012. FRESH IS BEST.

this is where power supply to battery, cord power to laptop become important.

Hopefully this can help.

Thank you Victor. That is very helpful.

The Ebay seller of an ECU that I was considering would not come down enough on price for me.

So I will first try the power management SDD program again and then do a re-flash per your outline.

This is all about extinguishing the battery red light.

So fixed the battery red light issue. It was the 10A fuse in the trunk.

Still thinking about re-flashing the ECU and getting the latest update.

Will check the records on the car to see whether it had a reported re-flash in the past.

Those inexpensive, (CHEAP) easy, fixes are the best ones!!!!:icon_steer:

According to the Carfax record on my 2005 XJR the ECU was reprogrammed in 2009.

Is there any point in re-flashing/re-programming it now with an SDD date of August 2012?

Especially since I am not trying to fix anything.

You might have to check with a tech on that. Maybe one can weigh in. If your's was refreshed in 09 and there haven't been anymore software updates from 09 -12 by Jaguar, you're right in assuming there's no added benefit. I'd also assume there would be an accompanying TSB between 09 and 12. I just don't know how to connect the dots between the TSB and accompanying software updates.
I'm assuming you'd need a TOPIX subscription to be absolutely sure.

Long story longer, if it ain't broke.....

Quote: "Long story longer, if it ain't broke.....".

Thats what I am thinking Sean.

can you tell us what position fuse that was? And what do you think caused it to trip?

John,

That is GREAT news! It's especially great since just today I replaced the alternator on a friend's Super V8 (thank you for the tips!). I won't be able to start the engine until a coolant hose arrives, but I've been dreading all day, "What if I get this put back together and still have the battery light like John?" If so, now I'll know what to do!

Great work! Your persistence has once again paid off!

Cheers,

Don

In my 2005 XJR there is a 10A fuse # 30 in the trunk. That was the blown one and there is a 5A fuse # 33 in the passenger foot well.

I believe the fuse blew when something happened to my original alternator.

When the red battery light 1st came on I suspected my battery as it was 13 plus years old.

Put in a new calcium plate tech battery...red light sill on.

Went thru several alternators but most would not get the voltage up over 14 volts.

Finally put in a genuine Jaguar Alternator that got to 14.25 volts but still had red light on.....until today.

Can I use this process to reprogram an ECM with a tuned ECM file?
How do I choose the .bin file?

Just a guess however I would think not as SDD will use its own files I think.

If you could replace the appropriate SDD file with yours maybe it would work?

Hi tarokyama,

I think jackra_1's workaround idea could work:

First, connect SDD and follow Victor's instructions up to the point where it tells you the name of the file that will be used in the update. Write down the name of that file, then cancel the procedure.

Search your computer for the file name you wrote down, edit the original file name by adding, for example, OEM to the file name. Then rename your edited file to the same name as the original Jaguar file and place it in the same folder.

Now, when you re-run the procedure in SDD and accept the update file, SDD should load your edited file, assuming its format is satisfactory to SDD and the ECM.

Whether or not this could really work I have no idea, and I warn you that there is a very real possibility of bricking your ECM. I have come close to doing that just by trying to update to the authorized Jaguar firmware, but was able to recover by using a newer version of SDD.

Cheers,

Don

Will follow this thread with interest!

I have several versions of jlr sdd on different hard drives which I can swap in and out of my laptop.

I use jlr sdd v131.06 on my 2005 XJR and v159 on my 2013 Range Rover Sport.

v131 would not let me access the XJR ECU for some reason when I reprogrammed the TCM successfully.

So am tempted to see if v159 will let me access it.........................one day.

Newbie question here. I'm used to tuning stand alone ECU's in <1995 cars and using HP tuners in newer cars. I picked up a 2008 XJR and looks like JLR Mongoose Pro will allow flashing of tunes however what program is used to edit the actual engine tune? I'd like to edit timing/fuel/etc...

These are custom developed and certainly not freely available.

To get an idea of what people look at look in the "Quest for 450 hp" thread. It is long so scan for "mapping" pics.

I really wish there was a tuning option..Every time there seems to be hope.....

This will not work, the system is more sophisticated than just letting a renamed edited file load, it will not work .

Hi AlexJag,

Have you tried this? If so, can you tell us what happened?

Cheers,

Don